Shell reloading apparatus

ABSTRACT

A shell reloading apparatus having an improved expander button which is positioned to expand the bullet-gripping shell neck. A used shell is first inserted into a cavity of the apparatus to reduce the diameter of the shell neck. The shell is then withdrawn from the cavity and over the expander button. A hard metal carbide ring on the expander button engages the inside of the shell neck as the shell is withdrawn from the cavity to thereby expand the shell neck to an accurately controlled diameter. Lubrication of the neck is not required and the ring can last indefinitely since it is highly immune to wear.

United States Patent J acobitz [54] SHELL RELOADING APPARATUS [451 Sept. 26, 1972 Primary Examiner--Benjamin Borchelt Assistant Examiner-H. J. Tudor 2 t H i [7 lnven or arvey A Jacob Flushmg Mlch Attorney-Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch & Choate [73] Assignee: C--H T0ol & Die Corporation,

' Flushing, Mich. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: March 4, 1971 A shell reloading apparatus having an improved expander button which is positioned to expand the bul- [ZH Appl' 120355 let-gripping shell neck. A used shell is first inserted into a cavity of the apparatus to reduce the diameter 521 US. Cl ..86/28, 86/32 of the shell neck- The shell is then withdrawn from the 51 1m.c| ..F32b 33/02 Cavity and Over the expander button- A hard metal 581 Field of Search ..86/23, 32, 33, 28 carbide ring the expander engages side of the shell neck as the shell is withdrawn from the cavity to thereby expand the shell neck to an accu- [56] References cued rately controlled diameter. Lubrication of the neck is UNITED STATES PATENTS not required and the ring can last indefinitely since it h hl t wear. 3,283,643 11/1966 Mittelsteadt ..86/23 y Immune 0 13 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 3/ i i ,2 i l i E 1 21 5 i 60 l SQ PATENTED E I972 3.693.497

F'ce.

/4 INVENTOR.

HARVEY A. JACOBITZ A TTOENEYS SHELL RELOADING APPARATUS This invention relates to the art of reloading cartridge shells and particularly to an improvement in shell reloading apparatus.

The firing of a cartridge within the firing chamber of a firearm causes the cartridge shell, or casing, to slightly expand and elongate. As long as the shell is neither torn nor split, this deformation is usually sufficiently small to enable the shell to be reloaded. Before the shell is reloaded, however, it must first be resized to its original dimensions. One way in which resizing can be performed isby inserting the expanded shell into a press which is then operated to force the shell into a resizing die. In reshaping the shell, the diameter of the shell neck is particularly critical because it must grip the bullet in the completed cartridge.

One type of die construction for controlling this dimension comprises an expander button which is supported within the cavity of the resizing die. The expander button is coaxially aligned with the cavity and preferably positioned close to the cavity opening. As an expanded shell is forced neck first into the cavity, the expanded neck freely passes over the expander button. The dimensions of the cavity are such that when the shell is fully inserted therein the shell neck is contracted to a diameter less than its original diameter before firing. At the same time, the shell body, whose diameter is less critical, is resized to approximately its original diameter. As the shell is then withdrawn from the die, the now-reduced shell neck is drawn over the expander button to be increased to its original diameter.

In the past, such expander buttons have been typically formed of hardened steel with which it has been necessary to use a special lubricant within the shell neck to produce an acceptable resized shell. Improper lubrication can cause galling in the neck while excessive lubrication can create wrinkles thereby rendering the shells unacceptable. In addition, the shell must be thoroughly cleaned before sizing and the expander button must also be thoroughly cleaned after each sizing operation. Moreover, as the expander button gradually wears out the critical shell neck diameter is not maintained.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide an improved expander for a cartridge shell resizing die which eliminates the need to lubricate the shell.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved expander for a cartridge shell resizing die which can last indefinitely to consistently maintain the critical neck dimension of the shells.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved expander for a cartridge shell resizing die comprising a carbide expander ring which when drawn through the shell neck smoothly and uniformly expands the shell neck to the desired accurately-sized diameter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a typical shell reloading apparatus having portions broken away and shown with a shell fully inserted into a resizing die which includes the improved expander of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view partly in section of the structure of FIG. 1 shown as the shell is being withdrawn from the die.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of FIG. 1 having a portion broken away.

Referring now to the drawings, a shell reloading die 10 is attached to a fixed die mounting plate 12 of a shell reloading press (not shown). The press includes a movable ram plate 14 to which is attached a shell holder 16 which supports a shell 18 in an upright position perpendicular to plates 12 and 14.

. Shell 18 comprises a thin-walled tubular body 20, a diametrically reduced neck 22 forward of body 20 and a frustum 24 connecting neck 22 with body 20. The neck end of shell 18 is open to receive a lead bullet (not shown), and its opposite end is enclosed by a peripherally crimped shell base 26, by means of which shell 18 is supported on shell holder 16.

Die 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body 28 which is threaded as at 30 for attachment to plate 12. This attachment is secured by a pair of nuts 31, 31, which permit vertical adjustment of die 10. A female die cavity 32 conforming to the shape of shell 18 extends upwardly through body 28. Cavity 32 comprisesa large cylindrical bore 34 for resizing shell body 20, a small cylindrical bore 36 for reducing the diameter of neck 22 and a conical portion 38 connecting bores 36 and 34 for sizing frustum 24. A threaded hole 40 extends downwardly from the upper end of body 28 to communicate with cavity 32.

Hole 40 receives a spindle 42 which extends concentrically downward through the entire length of cavity 32. Spindle 42 includes a head 44 which is threaded into hole 40 and a stem 46 which projects downwardly from the bottom of head 44 terminating in a dccapping pin 47. After the spindle is adjusted to its desired position it is locked in place by a jam nut 45. The lower portion of stem 46 is threaded as at 48 to receive the improved expander 50 of the present invention.

Expander 50 comprises a thimble 52 which is threaded onto the lower end of stem 46. A small opening 54in the head of thimble 52 provides clearance for pin 47. The opposite or upper end of thimble 52 is diametrically reduced as at 56 to define a shoulder 58. An expander ring is seated on shoulder 58 about the reduced portion 56 of thimble 50. The inside diameter of ring 60 is dimensioned to closely fit onto reduced portion 56 and is preferably secured thereto by a small amount of epoxy resin 59 applied between the mating surfaces (FIG. 3). Bonding of ring 60 onto reduced portion 56 of thimble 52 is facilitated by a V-shaped groove 61 around portion 56. The outside diameter of ring 60 is equal to the dimension to which the inside diameter of neck 22 is to be resized. Ring 60 is formed of one of the group of materials which are known as hard metal carbides. These carbides comprise finely divided, hard particles of carbide of refractory metal such as tungsten, titanium or tantalum, in combination with one or more metals to provide extreme hardness and high compressive strength. The upper and lower circular edges 62 and 63 respectively of ring 60 are preferably slightly rounded or chamfered.

Describing now the operation of the disclosed shel resizing apparatus, with ram plate 14 at the bottom of its stroke, a previously fired shell, indicated by the broken lines 64 in FIG. 2, is first inserted into shell holder 16. As ram 14 is now moved upwardly toward die 10, the expanded neck 22 of shell 18 freely passes over expander 50. Simultaneously; shell body is being resized by bore 34 to approximately its original diameter. As ram 14 moves toward the top of its stroke, the entrance of the upper end of neck 22 into the lower end of bore 36 begins reducing neck 22 to a diameter less than its original diameter before firing. Concurrently, pin 47 ejects the used primer cap 64. When the ram arrives at the top of its stroke, the lower end of body 28 abuts the top of shell holder 16 to complete the resizing of body 20, and neck 22 is now fully inserted within bore 36.

Ram 14 is next moved downwardly to start withdrawing shell 18 from die 10. As ram 14 approaches the bot tom of its stroke, the lower portion of neck 22 contacts the top circular edge 62 of ring 60. Continued movement of ram 14 causes neck 22 to be drawn over ring 60 (FIG. 2) to thereby expand the diameter of neck 22 to the required dimension. When ram 14 reaches the bottom of its stroke the resizing operation is complete and shell 18 may be removed from shell holder 16.

The resizing operation just described requires no lubrication within neck 22. The expanding operation is particularly smooth and sizes neck 22 uniformly and consistently to a precisely controlled tolerance. Because the carbide material of ring 60 is extremely hard it can last indefinitely, and hence does not have to be replaced. By way of example, ring 60 has been constructed to a tolerance of 0.0005 in. for use with 8mm. or caliber shells and may be constructed to other dimensions to resize similar types of shells.

lclaim:

1. In a cartridge shell resizing apparatus of the. type comprising means for reducing the inside diameter of a bullet-engaging neck portion of the shell to a dimension less than the original dimension thereof before firing and means for expanding the reduced inner diameter of said neck portion to an accurately predetermined size, said expanding means being located within the body of the shell when the neck is reduced to said lesser dimension, that improvement which comprises a round fitting on said expander means formed of a hard metal carbide, said round fitting having an accurately sized outer diameter and being positioned to engage the reduced inner diameter of the neck portion of said shell portion for expanding said portion to said accurately predetermined size when the shell and expander are axially separated.

2. The apparatus called for in claim 1 wherein said carbide fitting is shaped to form a circular surface over which said reduced neck portion is drawn for expanding said neck portion to said accurately predetermined diameter of a portion of the shell to a dimension less than the original dimension thereof before firing when the shell is inserted into the cavity and means for expanding the reduced diameter of said shell portion, that is afiriililis o rlfi d li fifif efiilr'iid afiiii. tioned to engage the reduced diameter of said shell portion for expanding said portion to said original dimension.

5. The apparatus called for in claim 4 wherein said carbide member defines a surface which is concentric with the die cavity and over which said reduced portion is drawn to expand said portion to said original dimension.

6. The apparatus called for in claim 5 wherein said surface is circular.

7. The apparatus called for in claim 5 wherein said surface is spaced axially of said cavity from the portion of the cavity which reduces the inside diameter of said shell portion.

8. The apparatus called for in claim 7 wherein said surface is positioned within said cavity.

9. The apparatus called for in claim 4 wherein said carbide member comprises a ring concentric with said cavity.

10. The apparatus called for in claim 9 wherein said ring is spaced axially of the cavity from the portion of the cavity which reduces said shell portion.

11. The apparatus called for in claim 9 wherein said expander member includes a diametrically reduced portion terminating in a shoulder on which said ring is seated.

12. The apparatus called for in claim 11 wherein the inner diameter of said ring corresponds closely to the outer diameter of said reduced portion of the expander member.

13. The apparatus called for in claim 12 wherein there is provided a small area clearance between the inner cylindrical surface of the ring and the outer cylindrical surface of said reduced portion to receive bonding material for securing the expander ring to the expander assembly. 

1. In a cartridge shell resizing apparatus of the type comprising means for reducing the inside diameter of a bulletengaging neck portion of the shell to a dimension less than the original dimension thereof before firing and means for expanding the reduced inner diameter of said neck portion to an accurately predetermined size, said expanding means being located within the body of the shell when the neck is reduced to said lesser dimension, that improvement which comprises a round fitting on said expander means formed of a hard metal carbide, said round fitting having an accurately sized outer diameter and being positioned to engage the reduced inner diameter of the neck portion of said shell portion for expanding said portion to said accurately predetermined size when the shell and expander are axially separated.
 2. The apparatus called for in claim 1 wherein said carbide fitting is shaped to form a circular surface over which said reduced neck portion is drawn for expanding said neck portion to said accurately predetermined size.
 3. The apparatus called for in claim 1 wherein said carbide fitting comprises a ring over which said reduced portion is drawn for expanding said portion to said original dimension.
 4. In a cartridge shell resizing apparatus of the type comprising a die having a cavity into which an expanded shell of a previously fired cartridge is insertable, said cavity being dimensioned to reduce the inside diameter of a portion of the shell to a dimension less than the original dimension thereof before firing when the shell is inserted into the cavity and means for expanding the reduced diameter of said shell portion, that improvement which comprises a member on said expander means formed of a hard metal carbide and positioned to engage the reduced diameter of said shell portion for expanding said portion to said original dimension.
 5. The apparatus called for in claim 4 wherein said carbide member defines a surface which is concentric with the die cavity and over which said reduced portion is drawn to expand said portion to said original dimension.
 6. The apparatus called for in claim 5 wherein said surface is circular.
 7. The apparatus called for in claim 5 wherein said surface is spaced axially of said cavity from the portion of the cavity which reduces the inside diameter of said shell portion.
 8. The apparatus called for in claim 7 wherein said surface is positioned within said cavity.
 9. The apparatus called for in claim 4 wherein said carbide member comprises a ring concentric with said cavity.
 10. The apparatus called for in claim 9 wherein said ring is spaced axially of the cavity from the portion of the cavity which reduces said shelL portion.
 11. The apparatus called for in claim 9 wherein said expander member includes a diametrically reduced portion terminating in a shoulder on which said ring is seated.
 12. The apparatus called for in claim 11 wherein the inner diameter of said ring corresponds closely to the outer diameter of said reduced portion of the expander member.
 13. The apparatus called for in claim 12 wherein there is provided a small area clearance between the inner cylindrical surface of the ring and the outer cylindrical surface of said reduced portion to receive bonding material for securing the expander ring to the expander assembly. 